“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training... What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
— Socrates, Memorabilia
“In order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity. Not separately, one for the soul and the other for the body, but for the two together.”
— Plato, The Republic and Laws
“The body is the instrument of the soul.”
— Aristotle, Politics and De Anima
“Walking is man’s best medicine. If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
— Hippocrates, Regimen and Aphorisms
“No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me you desire a good body, let me see your actions. First consider the pains you must endure, the sweat, the discipline.”
— Epictetus, Discourses
“The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Train yourself to think only those thoughts that are consistent with your principles.”
— Heraclitus
“Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.”
— Euripides
“Become what you are, having learned what that is.”
— Pindar
“He who trains with small weights can lift great ones.”
